October 15, 2025 -- Psalm 89:15-17 -- Blessed people--that's you in Christ

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Today's devotion is a reprint from 2017. I trust it will be a challenge and inspiration.

Please note, I am taking a Sabbatical and these devotions will, Lord willing, continue again in just over a month. Keep reading your bible. Take up the challenge to dig deep into the Word of God and the richest treasures He has in store for you there!

Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
In Your name they rejoice all day long.
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
Psalm 89:15-17 NKJV
 
Yesterday I was watching a TV where one of the main characters died. During the series there was no reference to faith or any church involvement, yet when this man died his family had a minister do the funeral. Strange. My question is this: why would a family, who had no comfort in God during their life together with this husband and father, find comfort in the LORD at the time of death? This reading from Psalm 89 offers some insight to this life and eternal life.
 
Those who know God now--not just as a concept, or a theory, but talk to God as Father, find in Jesus their strength and salvation, and are filled with hope and song by the Spirit--will rejoice in eternity in His presence. Why would a sinner who had no use for God in this life suddenly want to be in God's heaven? Heaven is all about the glory and wonder of Who God is. Heaven is the place where the people of God rejoice in the presence of God and find their capacity to find joy in Him ever increases and ever is filled.
 
A man who did not find any comfort or purpose in knowing God in this lifetime will not find eternity a comfort. It will be hell. God's holiness will be a consuming fire that scorches the conscience and torments them. Where Christ and His blood are not interposed the sinner will feel the full effects of God's just anger against sin.
 
The man who in this life finds comfort and purpose in knowing and delighting in God receives these blessings because of Jesus. Read on and review these blessings. The Saviour, also called our shield, stood in our place, taking the punishment of God against sin upon His Person at the cross. All who believe in Him receive His righteousness. Those who are in Christ rejoice in Him, and delight in God Who has become their Father by the accomplished work of Jesus. The believer in Jesus hates sin more in this life and finds joy in knowing God. That is why eternity and heaven are such high and holy expectations for believers because sin will no longer block our view of the glories of God. With our eyes, we shall see God as He is and what joy, what wonder, what blessedness awaits us then.
 
You, O God, are the King of believers and the glory of their strength!
You, O Christ, are the shield protecting and keeping us in the embrace of our Father in heaven.
You, O Spirit of Wisdom, take the precious truth of the Word and the accomplished work of Jesus and apply these to the heart, mind and life of every believer.
Blessed are You, O Living God.
Great is the joy that is ours today.
Greater and more glorious is the hope that is ours for eternity!
Blessed be the LORD, forever and ever! Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/clqdCXxqYvI?si=79xDP_JyWARmCsfd Be Thou My Vision
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 14, 2025 -- Acts 4:32-33 -- The evidence of love

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and one soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
Acts 4:32-33 ESV
 
To me this is one of the most beautiful expressions of what it looks like when the love of God takes hold of men and women. The love of God the Father was so rich, so pure, that folks were bound together in love. They met others, so different from themselves, and said, “my brother” or “my sister”. Think of it. Jews from fifteen different regions, as well as non-Jewish folks who heard Peter’s Pentecost sermon, were so stirred they left their former sinful ways to follow Jesus Christ. Obviously, many of these new Christians instead of returning to far-flung homes, stayed in Jerusalem. So, having left their livelihood and homes they’d be in great need as they hungrily learned about Jesus. No wonder there had to be an open-hearted, tremendous sharing of goods, money, food and lodging.
 
Notice the impact—first the love of God had been fully proved to His people in Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus, and His righteousness given to all who believed in Him was sealed to their hearts by the Holy Spirit. People drenched in the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, shared His goodness among themselves in a self-sacrificing way. Residents of Jerusalem and people who had the means, cared for others around them. No one was needy. Together they blessed one another and in doing so blessed Jesus (see Matthew 25:31-46, whatever we do for others we do so unto Jesus Himself). That is a powerful witness. Such deep and profound love is part of the power of the apostles’ preaching. Ordinary people could see how Christians loved one another. Even at great personal cost to themselves, they were housing strangers, who had become family in Christ. They were feeding people. They were embracing strangers and teaching them of the love of God in very practical ways. This love for others could only be sustained if it were fueled by a divine love—the Love of the Father.
 
The hearts of men and women haven’t changed. People then, and today, are profoundly selfish. Think of various commercials which appeal to one’s sense of entitlement. “I’m worth it”. Or “think of the freedom”. As Voddie Baucham used to say, we live in an age which says, “Get all you can, can all you get and sit on the can”. When people live in a way that is so radically different from the culture all around, and so radically different from the ordinary, sin-fueled impulses of the heart, well, that is a Gospel of power. Does your life reflect the extravagant love of God in the way in which you share with your family in Christ? Do the people at work, in your neighbourhood, in your social circle you see how sacrificially you support your family in Christ? You don’t have to showboat it or boast of it. Such genuine love is evident. It is powerful.
 
Gracious Father, thank You for Jesus, God-incarnate, love-incarnate. As Your Spirit teaches me the wonder of Your unstoppable love, let my heart sing, “Christ lives in me!” Filled to fullest measure of Your love, and then over-flowing with the knowledge of Christ’s great love, let me be a channel of this love to the people around me. Help me to use all the resources and blessings which You have given me so that I will be a blessing and a sign of Your love to fellow believers. Forgive me for the times I have been greedy, tight-fisted and self-focused. With the open-handed generosity You have shown, and still now continually do show me, let me be sacrificially generous so that the Gospel is adorned with the power of love. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/ydBxYBCd4Yg?si=Xyn3PeKyUmKSL3am Christ Liveth in Me
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 13, 2025 -- Philippians 4:5c-6 -- Happy Thanksgiving

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:5c-6 ESV
 
Happy Thanksgiving one and all! What a blessing to have a day to pause and reflect on the fantastic variety of ways in which our glorious God and Father has poured out His blessings on our lives. He blesses us individually, as families, as local churches, as associations of churches, as denominations, as workers, in circles of friends, in municipalities, wards, districts, cities, provinces and countries and in the world and all this moment by moment through-out history. He is at work on so many levels of our lives we can not comprehend His greatness, His goodness, His faithfulness, His love and we certainly can not ascertain His purposes except this: His glory will be made known. One day His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.
 
Because the Lord is at hand—He is near to each of us and His return with all the saints and holy angels, signaling the end of time is also near—we do not need to be anxious. God is in charge especially when so much in our lives seems chaotic. Yet the scriptures promise life is not chaotic. All the strands of God’s work and mercy and love and purposes are being brought together and Jesus rules over it all. Give thanks to Him.
 
At my family’s thanksgiving table, the eye-rolling moment happens, inevitably, when I get everyone’s attention and say, “Okay, tell everyone what you are thankful for.” Each one will eventually name that for which he or she is thankful. There are beloved standards: family. health. life. friends. good food. nice weather. the harvest. I wonder sometimes, do we thank God for more complicated reasons? Here are some things to consider.
 

1. A good government leads you to praise God. A government that is against God is evidence of His discipline upon a nation. Either way, we are called to pray for our leaders and acknowledge God is fully in charge giving thanks that one day the rule of Christ will be revealed to all.

2. Thank God for the trials you are undergoing. The hardship, which now is so unpleasant, is used by the Father to shape you into the likeness of Christ and the Holy Spirit guards you through-out the process.

3. Thank God for the hardships you are enduring, these lead you to rely on God more than you ever did before. If you find yourself drifting from God, rather than moving closer to Him, the hardship is likely a great warning for to call out to God prayer. God is making you aware of this and inviting you to urgently, persistently, appeal to Him for help. Know that those who ask, receive. Those who seek, find. Those who knock at His throne room will find the door opened. If you hadn’t been drifting and you encounter hardships and trials, like the disciples in past ages, praise God that you are considered worthy to suffer for the glorious Name of Jesus!

 
Almighty and most merciful Father, in whom we live and move and have our being, to whose tender compassion we owe our safety in days past, together with all the comforts of this present life, and the hopes of that which is to come; we praise Thee, O God, our Creator; to Thee do we give thanks, O God our exceeding Joy, who daily pours Thy benefits upon us. Grant, we beseech Thee, that Jesus our Lord, the Hope of glory, may be formed in us, in all humility, meekness, patience, contentedness, and absolute surrender of our souls and bodies to Thy holy will and pleasure. Leave us not, nor forsake us, O Father, but conduct us safe through all changes of our condition here, in an unchangeable love to Thee, and in holy tranquility of mind in Thy love to us, till we come to dwell with Thee, and rejoice in Thee for ever. Amen.
Simon Patrick (1626-1707)
 
https://youtu.be/T9MPUJsEVEM?si=kSrxllfTmycvf1Hv Now Thank We All Our God
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 10, 2025 -- John 10:27-30 -- Held by Jesus

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
John 10:27-30 ESV
 
Christians face all kinds of upheaval. There are enemies who breathe out violence. There are attacks of one’s own conscience, searing against the Christian when he realizes the sins he has committed and how vile they are in the sight of God. The accuser also throws into your face past iniquitous thoughts, wicked deeds and evil actions. How can a believer stand and feel at all safe with such forces arrayed against him? Dear believer, rush to the word of God.
 

• First Jesus, the Good Shepherd continually speaks to His sheep. The word of God is His voice. The Spirit living within reminds the believer that through the precious blood of Jesus Christ one belongs to Jesus.

• Second, and even more importantly, Jesus knows His sheep. He is fully aware of their failings and their need for a Savior and continuing need for rescue. He willingly gave Himself up for His sheep, the once-for-all sacrifice.

• Third, the sheep follow Jesus. This is a sign of one’s unity in Jesus; for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity (Proverbs 24:16 ESV). Believers can not, in this life, be perfect in their walk with Jesus, but they repent. They turn from sin. They get up every time again and continue to follow Him.

• Fourth, Jesus gives them eternal life. What a beautiful, power concept. So many people are chasing youth, thinking, “O to be forever young.” There are all kinds of make-up products and pills and strategies to stay young. The believer knows that whoever follows Jesus, though he dies, yet shall he live (John 11:25). To lose one’s life, turning away from all the lusts and longings of the world instead turning to Jesus, is to gain life in Christ that begins now and shall never end.

• Finally look at the confidence the believer has in Jesus. He guards His people in His hands. These are the hands that fashioned the universe. These are the hands that took the nails. These are the hands that touched the briar of the dead youth, and he was restored to life (Luke 7:14). What power is in those hands. And if that is not security enough, listen to the words of Jesus, the Father takes the believer into His hand.  Consider that, you are surrounded in the hand of Jesus which is then wrapped in the hand of the Father!

 
Dear fellow believer do not be discouraged, though many enemies are stacked against you and hundreds of thoughts fight against you and the accuser is whispering discouraging poison in your ear—you are safe in the hand of Jesus which is wrapped in the hand of the Father. You are precious to God. You are loved by Jesus. You are guarded by the Holy Spirit. Get up. Follow Jesus with holy boldness.
 
Father in heaven, blessed and glorious is Your Name. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, Who takes the Word and applies Your promises so that every one is “yes” and “amen” in Jesus Christ. Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Who leads His people, protects them and gives them life everlasting. Thank You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for the great love You have poured out, and continually pour out on your people. Help us this day to comfort those around us who are struggling in their faith. Humble us and make us receptive to the care of those You have appointed to minister to us. Hearing the voice of Jesus, so direct us by Your Spirit that we will follow Him now, continually delighting in His voice, until that day when You have brought us secure through this life, we are ushered into eternity and we hear Jesus and see Him face to face. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/rpYM6Et_hVY?si=lg2wGxcOLERy6iWX He Leadeth Me
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 8, 2025 -- Remembering your New Year's Resolution

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart for you are all partakers with me of grace both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel.   Philippians 1:7 ESV
 
We’re 10 months into the year. Do you even remember your New Year’s resolutions? I reviewed mine. Oh, how optimistic I was. Let’s look back: Perhaps, if you are starting this year off by joining me in memorization, you are finding yourself getting stuck. You are pushing against the laziness of the flesh...or maybe you aren’t fighting your flesh and memorization is left undone. Or, you are fighting against the desires to do something, anything really, rather than memorize. Boy, oh boy, do I get it. However, putting the word of God into your heart helps you:

• to fight temptation. Jesus quoted scripture to defeat Satan’s temptations (Matthew 4:1-11)

• to guide you in the purity that is yours in Christ (Psalm 119:9)

• to teach you the way you should go (Psalm 119:33-35)

• to direct you decision-making (Psalm 119:105)

• to keep you following Jesus when hard trials come to you (Psalm 119:86-88)

 
Note in today’s brief text how Paul emphasizes the deep connection between believers. Even though he is in prison, he writes the Philippians, emphasizing the partnership they have in Christ. He tells them how they share in grace. When one part of the body suffers, everyone suffers. When one part of the body rejoices, the whole body rejoices.
 
Paul’s imprisonment is a reminder to the church at Philippi that there is a cost to believing. They are reminded that their prayers and financial support mean they are bound up with Paul. You know the expression “guilt by association”, right? Paul is facing serious charges. The people of Philippi could be implicated and themselves investigated. But they pray for Paul. They provide financial support. As the letter progresses you learn how their support has impacted Paul so that he was able to continue in his missionary work, even from his imprisonment. They are partakers of grace; they are united with Paul in suffering and in the defense of the Gospel. They will soon hear that though Paul is in chains for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Good News of Jesus and His salvation is reaching into previously unreachable places.
 
Father in heaven thank You for the beauty of Your Word and the effectiveness of it. You promised that Your Word goes out with power and accomplishes all You intend for it. By Your Spirit’s blessed presence in our lives, help us to memorize Your Word so that we will be stronger in our service to You and more equipped to fight every temptation while standing firm for Jesus in every trial. Thank You, Jesus, that wherever You call us to follow You, You will always supply our needs so that the Gospel will go out with power and Your people will be built up, prepared for eternity in Your presence. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/qy_XbGrnTlY?si=OLqnjq6qUJUJuy0c Speak O Lord
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 7, 2025 -- John 12:42-43 -- Are you seeking glory for yourself or the glory that is yours in Jesus?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him [Jesus], but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
John 12:42-43 ESV
 
Yesterday I listened to a Paul Washer sermon. Someone had said to him, excitedly, “Brother, I have a new relationship with Jesus”. Laconically he replied: “But do you have a new relationship with sin?” Following Jesus means you are not seeking your own glory, or your own pleasures. Following Jesus means you gladly leaves sin behind. Washer noted that often the ones who come to him for prayer are Christians, who having become so tender-hearted towards Jesus and His Word, hate their sin so much, they weep over it, they repent of it, they ask for forgiveness seeking prayer with other believers so that they will walk in the light of Christ. Interestingly, many of those who appear to be Christians, who stay back. Those holding back in the pews are those who unlikely to weep of their sins, unlikely to see their great, hourly, intense need for repentance. Even our best works, our most dedicated works for Jesus, are still stained with sin while we still live here on earth.
 
The path to glory is death to self. The newness of life that is yours in Christ means even before you would have something in your life, or not to have it, you look to Jesus and his Word. You ask, “Would this thing, this person, this event, this circumstance, this relationship add to my walk with God or interfere with it?” If it would hinder your walk with God the Father, the source of all good, then throw it as far away from yourself as you can, rather than risk your relationship with God, Whose glory is life and joy and blessedness for all who live for Him.
 
So many people stood near to Jesus, heard His blessed words, and saw His miracles, but refused to give up the praise of the people around them. They could not endure the slightest mocking or insults for the Name. Does that sound familiar? Perhaps you are near to Jesus. you have Christian friends you admire. You have heard powerful preaching. You have seen amazing things in your life. But you realized something. Following Jesus is not easy. It is costly. It will cost you your life, your reputation, your desires, your idolisation of yourself, your finances, your safety, and whatever else He deems needful to strip you of so that you will walk in the light of His glory and grace. Ask yourself today, do you love the glory that comes from your peers or the world, more than you love the glory that comes from God?
 
God our Father, source of all good in life, instruct us by Your Spirit. By the powerful working of the Spirit in us, help us to set aside any weight, any hinderance, any glory, any thing that would interfere with our whole-hearted, humble dedication to Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/O--n-pU8ArA?si=BjN1vD1IY6C0bJm3 All to Jesus I Surrender
 
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 5, 2025 -- Exodus 20:8-11 -- What's up with Sunday? Why is it important?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Exodus 20:8-11 ESV

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together…
Acts 20:7 ESV

Why do Christians meet on Sundays instead of Saturday, as was the Old Testament practice?
In the Old Testament, the seventh day was the day of rest. It was the Sabbath and God blessed it. The New Testament records that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, on Sunday. He is what all the Old Testament sacrifices pointed to; His resurrection changed everything. The Old Testament Sabbath and rest informs the New Testament Sunday celebrations.
The Heidelberg Catechism, written in the mid 1500’s to explain the Christian faith to Christians. It was approved by a church gathering, called a synod, in 1563. Included in today’s devotion is the question and the answer which explains the fourth commandment, the one concerning the Sabbath.
 
Q. What is God’s will for you in the fourth commandment?
A. First,
that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained,1
and that, especially on the festive day of rest,
I diligently attend the assembly of God’s people2
to learn what God’s Word teaches,3
to participate in the sacraments,4
to pray to God publicly,5
and to bring Christian offerings for the poor.6
Second,
that every day of my life
I rest from my evil ways,
let the Lord work in me through his Spirit,
and so begin in this life
the eternal Sabbath.7
1 Deut. 6:4-9, 20-25; 1 Cor. 9:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:2; 3:13-17; Tit. 1:5
2 Deut. 12:5-12; Ps. 40:9-10; 68:26; Acts 2:42-47; Heb. 10:23-25
3 Rom. 10:14-17; 1 Cor. 14:31-32; 1 Tim. 4:13
4 1 Cor. 11:23-25
5 Col. 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:1
6 Ps. 50:14; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 8 & 9
7 Isa. 66:23; Heb. 4:9-11
 
You’ll notice that what we are to do on the first day of the week, on Sunday, is based on the teaching of the bible (when you have some time, I encourage your to look up all bible references which are included.)
 
So, get together with the people of God. Bring your tithes and offerings to God for the support of the church and the care of the poor and the instruction in Gospel ministry. Rest from evil. Ask the Spirit of God to work in you today, and through-out the week. Anticipate the wonderful, eternal Sabbath, when we, together with all God’s people past, present and future, will rejoice in the glorious presence of God Who is the LORD of Hosts.
 
Our Father in heaven, thank You for appointing a day of the week on which Your people can delight in You as we gather for public worship; reflect on all the blessings and benefits You have poured out on us through Jesus Christ. Thank You, glorious Father, for the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we can rest from evil. By the same Spirit we can understand the Word and know we are being guarded now for eternity in Your glorious presence; oh, what a blessed thought to know there, in eternity sin and death are no more. Each Sunday, stir in us a greater anticipation of the glories yet to be, when we shall be all You intend for us in eternity, and we shall be able to love You fully even as we there finally understand how fully we have always been loved by You, our Father, the Source of all Good. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/mYToc2YNyio?si=fAffmUBrrttzTJEh O Day of Rest and Gladness
 
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 4, 2025 -- Isaiah 40:25-26 -- God, Who Created the Starry Hosts

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

To whom then will you compare me,
    that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
    and because he is strong in power,
    not one is missing.
Isaiah 40:25-26 ESV
 
Magazines, who still subscribes to them? There is one I still do, and I love to receive it in my mailbox! It is called “Creation”. It is a science-based, Christian magazine that emphasizes the fact that God created the universe in six, 24-hour days; and on the seventh day He established the Sabbath. A day of rest. A sanctuary in time.
 
While reading my latest edition of Creation, I read these words: “…consider how many stars there are in the universe. Astronomers currently estimate there are at least 200 sextillion starts—that is 2 followed by 23 zeros! Conveyed differently, there are roughly 10,000 stars for each grain of sand on all the beaches of the earth.” Creation, Vol. 47, No. 4 2025. Let that sink in. The incomprehensible number of stars. Elsewhere in the same article it is noted that ours is an ultraminiscule solar system within the Milky Way Galaxy.
 
The implications are amazing.

• God, Who is greater than all the stars put together, knows each one.

• God, Who created and sustains the outstretched vastness of our cosmos, knows His people living here on this small planet called earth, orbiting the sun, in our ultraminiscule solar system.

• God, Who brings out the starry hosts so that not one of them is missing, counts His people as so profoundly precious, that He would not let a single one of His chosen people be lost for eternity. He sent His Son, His beloved Son, to be the sacrifice for our sins. That Son, of Whom it is written, for by Him all things were created (Colossians 1:16) and He is before all things and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17) willingly set aside the privileges of divinity to walk under the very stars He made and do so as a man, suffering, and die, so that we could be saved. Honestly! To whom will you compare our God?!

• God, Who gives order to the immeasurable universe, invites you to lift your eyes to the starry hosts, not to worship them, instead with the eyes of faith to see beyond them and glorify Him, the One Who made them, the One Who saves you, and the One Who lives in you, guarding you until your salvation is accomplished.

 
Today’s prayer is from the Psalms:
Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant and a song of praise is fitting.
The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding his beyond measure.
The LORD lifts up the humble;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
Psalm 147:1-6 ESV
 
Jerusalem is a reference to God’s own people, and it points to the new heavens and the new earth, when we will live in the New Jerusalem, where sin and death will be no more
 
Outcasts—currently believers suffer for their faith
 
https://youtu.be/o-ImfnUqWxg?si=B1JB3-5wbUvDJxeU All Praise to Him
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 2, 2025 -- Romans 5:8-10 -- Saved right to the end

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Romans 5:8-10 ESV
 
On Wednesday evenings our group has been going through: Study Romans, by Dr. Michael Kruger (President of RTS, Charlotte, NC; this video series is free and available on YouTube.) Today’s text is a portion of what we studied last night. The God Who saved us while we were still sinners, is the one who will complete that salvation. We were not participants in our salvation. We were rescued. We didn’t approach God, He rescued us. Doesn’t it make sense that He who saved us by the death of Jesus while we were His enemies should now save us by the life of Jesus. Jesus, Who lives at the Father’s right hand, and Who is always presenting our case to the Father. The same Father who sent Jesus to rescue us, is the Father Who hears Jesus’ prayers on our behalf. The Father and the Son together have given us the Holy Spirit so that we will be saved right to the end.
 
But many people struggle with doubts. Fears. Questions. Sure, God saved me, but will He complete that work He started in me? Kruger gave a wonderful illustration. Jessica Lynch was a 19-year-old U.S. soldier in Iraq. In March 2003 she was captured by the enemy. In April 2003 she was rescued. It was a dramatic and well-published story. Imagine this—while she is on the plane flying her out of Iraq to a safe location, she asks: “Will you feed me there?” Or if she would ask: “Are you going to take me all the way to the base of will you stop half-way and drop me off somewhere unknown?” The thought is ludicrous. Of course, her rescuers would bring her all the way to safety. They would most certainly make sure she received medical attention. They fed her.
 
Dear people, we were once enemies of God. We were actively engaged in warfare against the LORD of Heaven and Earth. When He rescues us, through the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, and guards us in His love by the in-dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, we have spiritual Post-Traumatic Stress-Disorder. We have confusion. We have questions. We have fears. We remember the brutality of the enemy (even our own wickedness when we formerly used to serve the enemy). The passage today assures us of the never-ending, door-crashing, prison-breaking, love of God. He Who rescued you in Christ, how much more now that you are reconciled, shall you be saved by the life of Jesus. The word of God is your surety; it points to the work of Jesus that is “yes” and “amen”. The Spirit is healing you. Fellow Christians further along in the journey of faith are to you mentors and comforters. The history of God’s faithfulness every generation are constant reminders to you that He is trustworthy to save to the uttermost. Take courage in this. Rejoice and be glad—in Jesus Christ you will be brought all the way home to eternity.
 
Infinite wisdom cast the design of salvation
into the mould of purchase and freedom;
Let wrath deserved be written on the door of hell,
But the free gift of grace on the gate of heaven.
I know that my sufferings are the result of my sinning,
but in heaven both shall cease;
Grant me to attain this haven and be done with sailing,
and may the gales of thy mercy blow me safely into harbour.
Let thy love draw me nearer to thyself,
wean me from sin, mortify me to the world,
and make me ready for my departure hence.
Secure me by thy grace as I sail across this stormy sea.
 
(Today’s prayer is the final paragraphs of the prayer: “The Mover”, from The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions).
 
https://youtu.be/XKOoeTbjSeI?si=tpqeLWKpdSaq8JrH Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 1, 2025 -- Psalm 30:1 -- I will extol You--wait what is that word extol? And why do that?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice.    Psalm 30:1 ESV
 
To extol God is to praise Him enthusiastically. It is heart and hands, mind and mouth all engaged to declare to goodness of God, to speak of His attributes and His saving work. Why will the psalmist extol the LORD?

• First, it is because God has drawn him up, or it can be translated lifted up. God the Father has lifted the psalmist from the pit of despair, from death in sinfulness and given him life. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. Then much later it was translated into Greek, the language of the New Testament. In John 3 Jesus is “drawn up” or “lifted up” on the cross (the Greek word is the same one used in Psalm 30:1). The New Testament Christian realizes he has been united with Christ in His death so he will be united with Christ in His resurrection. That is how the Christian is drawn up from sin.

• Second, to be drawn up means that God has done the work. We can not, we did not, save ourselves, so the appropriate response of one who is saved is to give the honour and the credit to God. One sings hymns and spiritual songs and psalms honouring God. Extoling God keeps the goodness of God front and centre in the life of the believer and in that way closes the door on temptations to go back to old habits and sinful ways.

• Third, the psalmist extols God, notice he calls God the LORD—which is the covenant Name for God. It is the Name by which our God binds Himself to His promises to save us from the wickedness of the world, from the clutches of the Devil and even rescue us from ourselves when we would go back to the Egypt of our sins. Temptations so sin can cause us to forget how bad it was to live in our sins the first go-round. The LORD keeps His promises, He shows grace, even when we are at our weakest.

• Fourth, the LORD will not let our enemies rejoice over us. It is in worship that the sons and daughters of God recognize the glory of eternity. Those who know God now, delighting in Him, will praise Him for all eternity. It is joy that starts now will never end. Those who hate God can not imagine that there is joy in praising God. They will, instead, do all they can to trample on the Christian, hating him or her. Most kindly put they do so, perhaps without even fully realizing they actually are expressing their hatred towards the LORD God Who has saved that person they maliciously rejoice over. Or, it is possible foes hating the Christian, full well know they hate God, they hate Jesus, and they hate the testimony of the Holy Spirit and therefore they will do what they can to make a Christian miserable.

 
Like the followers of Jesus through-out the ages, who filled with the Spirit rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of Jesus, so we extol God the LORD when we suffer! The foes and prosecutors will see how we endure, how our hope in Jesus cannot be crushed out of us; it is possible at that moment they will begin to see the blessedness of the LORD, Whom we extol. There is a chance, such witness while we suffer, will bring others to know and serve Jesus as well.
 
Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
Psalm 30:10-12 ESV
https://youtu.be/gdDYeoOzGfA?si=7mqbeDOyFYxMnc3g Psalm 30 Song
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 26, 2025 -- Daniel 4:35 -- Worship is the correct response to God

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing.
And he does according to his will among the hosts of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth.
And none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
Daniel 4:35 ESV
 
“God’s creative and upholding sovereignty is the basis for worship. The will of God is ultimate: not man’s will, not the church’s will, but the will of God alone. He creates and upholds to fulfil his own purpose. Appreciating this reduces us to size. ‘To God alone be the glory’ was the watchword of the sixteenth-century Reformation, and that because they had understood that God is sovereign. Heaven will eternally reflect this and earthly worship ought to seek to conform to it.”
Derek Thomas, Let’s Study Revelation, page 49
 
Prayer:
Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God Almighty!
Just and trust are your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy,
All nations will come and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.
Revelation 15:3-4 ESV
 
https://youtu.be/zhhYIZJj6rk?si=mQxqWFlqiCDSz4Ap “Glory to God in the Highest” Vivaldi
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 22, 2025 -- Jeremiah 31:31-35 -- The Law of God is written on your heart. So what?!

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:31-34 ESV
 
When the Spirit writes the Law of God on your heart:

• You are confirmed as a child of God. For only children know the will of the Father. Having the law written on your heart means that sin is no longer your master. As you follow Jesus Christ, you are proving you to yourself, the world and the hosts of hell, that you belong to God. Of course, living for Jesus in this way will mean there is push-back from all those opposing forces.

• You are disciplined by the Father through the Law—only a true child is disciplined by the Father. You can’t, when you are in a store, go over to a child who is naughty and give them a good smack for such vile behaviours as cursing, or hitting others, and smashing displays. You can only discipline your own child. Those who are in Christ have the Law written on their hearts and realize, when the Father disciplines them for disobedience, He is, in fact, showing Himself to be a good Father.

• You are aware of how much you still must change and repent. As His child, who is thoroughly and deeply loved, you want to be more like your new family, more like Jesus. That explains why you repent of past actions and bring your life into obedience to Him. The closer you draw to Jesus, the more clearly, in the Light of His glory and grace, you realize how you are falling short of His standard of perfection. You hate sin. You confess evil intentions. It is a sign of growing holiness and ever-growing love for the Father.

 
Father in heaven, source of all good, thank You for the new life You have given us in Jesus Christ. Thank You for the work of the Holy Spirit, confirming in us the fact that we are beloved sons and daughters of God. Gracious Father, hear our confessions of sin, because we know the good we should do and we have left it undone. We know the paths of righteousness, but we must confess how often we have rebelliously chosen to be wayward and selfish in our words and actions. Thank You that the Law is written on our hearts, but so too the promises, that as often as we confess our sins, You are faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Spirit of God, lead me in the way everlasting. Amen.

https://youtu.be/FSHe-kibZDg?si=ZyGqtDiBovJuDdnz Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 21, 2025 -- Joshua 24:15b -- Choosing to serve

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

…choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15b ESV
 
Choose—that is an imperative. It is a deliberate choice. It is a daily choice. It is a choice that requires effort, intentionality, confession when one has veered off course. To choose the LORD is the most important choice of one’s life.
 
The world chooses fame. It chooses success. It chooses this today and next week that and the week after something else new. Influencers are killing themselves to be the most popular sensation on the internet and then are forgotten as soon as the next sensation hits. It is so easy to be influenced by the trends of the world. It is easy to have a righteousness like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day; that is to be people who keep all the laws with exactitude, but in your hearts, you do not honour and bless the One Who gave the Law. A quotation attributed to Martin Luther is, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing”. Another preacher whose name I forget just now, stated, “To be a Christian without praying is to be a good-living atheist”. Wow.
 

• To serve the LORD is to be a man or woman of prayer.

• To serve the LORD is to spend formal times in prayer and through-out the day to be aware of His presence and to speak to Him, thanking Him, blessing Him, and delighting in Him as is suitable in view of whatever is happening in your life.

• To serve the LORD is to turn your back on whatever the world is proposing and to intentionally turn your yourself to God taking on a posture of willing obedience to Him.

• To serve the LORD is life, because any other allegiance, any other service is death—our own history and past experiences in life have proved this over and over again.

• To serve the LORD is to give to Him your time, your talents and your treasures—all of life is focused on Him. In Jesus is the light of life (John 8:12). Veering away from Him to the right or to the left is to plunge oneself back into darkness and troubles.

• To serve the LORD is to delight in His salvation; it is to find pleasure in knowing Him better, it is not hard service—whereas in the past you sacrificed much for food, or pleasure, or self, or to keep up with the world—now you are sacrificing all things that are fleeting and dying in favour of Him at Whose right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).

 
Father in heaven, source of all that is good, blessed be Your Name. I confess I have often chosen to serve You and failed to follow through in my commitment. I confess I have at one moment chosen to serve You, and almost immediately in the next, distracted, started going here and there rather than serving you. Help me by Your powerful Spirit living in me, to anchor my commitment to serve Jesus in the powerful Spirit. Teach me to listen to the conviction of the Spirit and conquer my heart as often as is needed so that I will in all things be guided by the Spirit through the Word. Help me to find as You promised, eternal pleasures at Your right hand forever more. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/R8mLTdQQXg4?si=BNhglrv-E_yrJiFO Psalm 16 Shane and Shane
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 19, 2025 -- Prayer requests

A few times a year I am asked to send out prayer requests related to my work as a minster with Redemption Prison Ministry. Here is my list for this week and I though it might be helpful for you to read. Prayer warriors, please pray. Donors, please donate. Encouragers, well, I welcome encouragement. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. I hope this gives you some insight into the work I do and gives you specific items for which you can join me in prayer. Thanks in advance. Shalom. Richard

1.     There is a fund-raising banquet to be held this weekend and two in October. May God grant safe travels to all who participate, a great time of fellowship and a good financial boost to the ministry. May the reports given at each of the meetings lead to new volunteers in the areas of the thrift stores in Ontario, prayer warriors, monthly donors and volunteer instructors.

2.     You may have heard of “prison conversions”, where an inmate “finds Jesus” because it looks good on his parole application. (This is a real problem.) The frequency of false conversions tends to make the parole board members cynical when they interview genuine Christians who speak openly about their faith. Those who are truly Christian can be quite discouraged when they face persecution for their allegiance to Jesus. Pray for those who are truly Christian, that their witness may affect Correctional Officers, Parole Board Members, Community Parole Officials, and their fellow inmates. Pray for those who cynically assume a Christian stance for worldly benefit, may their hearts truly be conquered for Jesus.

3.     There is a real need for Redemption Prison Ministry to help equip churches and answer their questions surrounding issues like helping an inmate to transition from life on the inside to life in society. One further step: how can RPM help churches to receive newly released inmates appropriately and safely? What tools, information, education, and training might be needed to help local churches? RPM is considering updating the toolkit it has and making it more widely available to interested churches. May God guide and direct us all in this.

4.     A reality of life is ministering to men who having been released from prison breach their conditions and return to prison. Or, having been released, relapse into drugs or alcohol because there is not enough community support, or family—wearied and exhausted from previously fruitless efforts to help their loved ones finally have given up helping. It is very hard on the soul for such men and women, as well as for those who support them and long for their restoration to fullness of life in Christ.

5.     At the Southeast Regional Correction Centre, a full-time social worker has been hired, and his role is to help men prepare for life on the outside. He and I have met and hope there can be useful networking and mutual support.

6.     As a prison-visiting pastor, it is profoundly difficult to bridge the worlds on the one hand of life with inmates and the hard and harsh stories of their existence while on the other hand navigating polite Christian society in churches where such experiences are so foreign. There is a profound emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual cost and I am feeling it keenly. Moving between these two worlds is profoundly isolating and has been a stretch for my own faith. May God direct me deeper into fellowship with Christ by the power of the Spirit and the beauty and steadfast promises of the world.

7.     As Paul wrote to the Colossians “at the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ…that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak” Colossians 4:3-4 ESV.

September 18, 2025 -- Romans 4:18-25 -- Faith

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Romans 4:18-25 ESV
 
Each Wednesday evening our bible study group has been following Dr. Michael Kruger’s Study of Romans. The passage before us prompts an important question: “What is faith?” Is it an emotion? Is it a feeling that rises and falls with every impulse in our lives? Here is Kruger’s explanation, in my own words.

1. Faith is the on-going act of trusting and relying on Jesus. Faith can grow, develop and strengthen. It is obedience to Jesus in daily life.

2. Faith is trusting in the promises of God. All His promises are given to believers through Jesus and are written in the Word. That is why the Bible is critical for all believers. We know how secure we are in Jesus by the promises of God.

3. Faith is trusting in the Word of God even in hard times. In the passage, Abraham and Sarah were too old and the natural bodily systems required for conceiving and bearing children did not function for them. According to the promises of God, He restored their ability to have children. They believed, though many forces and factors pushed against this in their lives.

 
In this lesson (Session 13 in his series) Kruger gave a wonderful clarification of how believers are saved and how faith is active in this.

• We are saved by Christ—He is the focus of our faith.

• We are saved by faith—faith links believers to Jesus. It is not the strength of our faith that saves us, but the strength of the One in Whom we place our trust.

• We are saved by grace—grace is the “why” of our salvation. God moves towards us in love, according to His covenant promises made before time began, and accomplishes this salvation through Jesus and guards it in us by the gift of the Holy Spirit Who lives in us.

 
Father in heaven, thank You for the privilege we have of calling you our Father through the accomplished work of Jesus. Thank You for this new and full life that is ours in Jesus and for the guardianship of the Holy Spirit Who will not let us go. Spirit of the Living God, when the storms and trials of life rise to a howling pitch in our ears and our confidence is at its lowest ebb, remind us of the promises of God, every single one of which is “yes” and “amen” in Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/cY6k2QhdCn0?si=A4F2sdmHaUDHJ2_B How Firm a Foundation
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

A public repentance

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

As many of you know, sometime in June I posted a blog that caused some anguish to my readers, especially those from Mount Zion and the session there…though the church was not named. The leadership there as well as another colleague in ministry, strongly voiced their complaints. Since that time I have written a pained appeal to my Presbytery. What I have written to the members of the Presbytery needs to be covered by this post as well and I will send it out to them via the proper channels.

I have been called to repentance for posting the blog. I refused. More than once.

This morning, on the way to work, a podcast came up on my playlist. I have linked it here in case you’d like to listen or read the whole: https://www.ccef.org/in-defense-of-something-close-to-venting/ I highly recommend it). For now, I quote it in part here.

Though the Scriptures provide us with permission to participate in something close to venting, it also offers plenty of cautions related to the use of our words, especially in conversation with others. This caution reminds us to align our words with God’s kingdom purposes of building others up and encouraging their hearts and minds.

• James 3 reminds us of the dangers of excessive words and the power of an untamed tongue.

• Proverbs 10:19 cautions us that “When words are many, transgression is not lacking.”

• Proverbs 13:3 encourages us to hedge the impulse to speak, as it highlights that “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”

• And finally, Ephesians 4:29 admonishes us to “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

The Scriptures permit and provide space for expression and honest sharing, at the same time as it fences and limits this permissive space regarding the contents of our speech and the nature of our words.

Todd Stryd, November 1, 2021

When you look at the date of Stryd’s post, you’ll see it is from about four years ago. It shouldn’t be on my playlist now; but there it was. Randomly, or better, by good providence, it popped into the playlist at just the moment the soil of my heart was softened enough to hear and receive. Though several men had appealed to me to remove the post (which I did) they also appealed to me to repent. Which I did not. Until now.

After listening to this podcast, from someone who, so to speak, doesn’t have an iron in the fire, I realized:

1. My words were untamed. I repent of that to all within reach of this blog.

2. My words were many, and I repent of that to all within reach of this blog

3. I did not stop the impulse to speak, when fairer words could have been used, or, more appropriately, better channels for these words. I repent of that.

4. I realize these words were harmful—while I intended to bring an important matter to light, it was not done in a way that was healing, helpful or promoting a solution. I heartily repent of that.

If you do not know what this refers to, all the better. Disregard my part of this blog, while at the same time taking the warning for the future to consider all your words and when you vent, be cautious how you vent.

Shalom. Richard

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 16, 2025 -- I John 1:5-10 -- Confession: sin-breaking power

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
I John 1:5-10 ESV
 
A man at one of the federal institutions where I visit and lead bible studies joyfully announced to the group he is finally 30 days sober. (Yes, you read that correctly. It is quite possible to get mind altering substances inside the prison.) His confession was truly a reason to rejoice. He felt simultaneously terrible and joyful. He was ashamed of himself, embarrassed how this impacts his testimony and his walk with God, but he is also thankful for these 30 days of sobriety.
 
This letter from John sets the tone for the exploration of the latter part of the letter, where he warns his readers against sin. Here, before exploring the impulses to sin and the false loves which infect our heart, he reminds the believers that God is light. Those who have fellowship with Jesus will walk in the light of life. The Spirit will shine the light of the bible and present Christ—Who is the light of life—into our hearts and reveal all areas of unconfessed sin, strongholds of sin, patterns of sin, and that tricky, persistent root of pride. All wicked words, rebellious actions, secret wrongful activities which we would want to hide from others will be exposed by word of God and the Spirit of God. There are two options: confess that sin (even though that seems counter-intuitive and hard to do) and experience the healing grace of Jesus through whose blood we are cleansed from all our sins. The other option is to act as if we have no sin. Nothing to repent of. No unrighteousness. There are justifications. There are excuses. But it is a way of darkness and is a direct path away from God.
 
From the very start of the letter, John is reassuring his readers, those who experience the same chaotic tumult and tugs towards sin that all of us do, that in Jesus Christ there is forgiveness that is full and free. Sin will either hold us down, capturing us and rebinding us back into slavery unto it, or sin will be confessed and its power of it will be broken by the grace of Jesus Christ.
 
What do you need to confess?
 
To whom will you confess your sin so that you have a witness to both the healing power of God and a person who can hold you to account for the re-commitment you have made to walk in holiness? The man who confessed his 30 days of sobriety in the prison did so in the context of a Christian twelve-step group called Overcomers. The guys in that group were very affirming and one or two were very ready to help him stay true to his promise.
 
To whom will you confess your sins so that you can rebuild once again the deep fellowship you had with God, restore fellowship with other believers and experience the true peace that comes from a forgiven heart? Temptation to wickedness and evil lead us to isolate ourselves (Proverbs 18:1)—we know we are doing wrong and we try to hide. However, confession is the wide-open door to freedom and life.
    
  Eternal Father,
  Thou art good beyond all thought,
But I am vile, wretched, miserable, blind lips are ready to confess,
but my heart is slow to feel, and my ways reluctant to amend.
I bring my soul to thee; break it, wound it, bend it, mould it.
Unmask to me sin’s deformity, that I may
hate it, abhor it, flee from it.
My faculties have been a weapon of revolt against thee;
as a rebel I have misused my strength,
and served the foul adversary of thy kingdom.
Give me grace to bewail my insensate folly,
Grant me to know that the way of transgressors is hard,
that evil paths are wretched paths,
that to depart from thee is to lose all good.
I have seen the purity and beauty of thy perfect law,
the happiness of those in whose heart it reigns,
the calm dignity of the walk to which it calls,
yet I daily violate and contemn its precepts.
Thy loving Spirit strives within me,
brings me Scripture warnings, speaks in startling providences,
allures by secret whispers, yet I choose devices and desires to my own hurt,
impiously resent, grieve, and provoke him to abandon me.
All these sins I mourn, lament, and for them cry pardon.
Work in me more profound and abiding repentance;
Give me the fullness of a godly grief that trembles and fears,
yet ever trusts and loves, which is ever powerful, and ever confident;
Grant that through the tears of repentance I may see more clearly
The brightness and glories of the saving cross.
From: Valley of Vision, “Yet I Sin”
 
https://youtu.be/TxC16duiHvQ?si=lVKJ7Y26aovHcijC O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 14, 2025 -- Matthew 5:3 -- God's will ruling in your life

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.                  Matthew 5:3 ESV
 
What is the blessing that is given to those who are poor in spirit? They are given the kingdom of heaven. When the Father gifts us to the Son as trophies celebrating Jesus’ accomplished work, we are part of the Kingdom of Jesus. Sin no longer has mastery over us. I have been reading Gabor Maté’s book: “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts close encounters with addiction.” Maté wrote:
Addiction is a complex condition, a complex interaction between
human beings and their environment. We need to view it simultaneously
from many different angles—or, at least, while examining it from
one angle, we need to keep others in mind. Addiction has biological,
chemical, neurological, psychological, medical, emotional, social,
political, economic and spiritual underpinnings— and perhaps
others I haven’t thought about.” Maté, page 129.
When we were locked in the kingdom of darkness, our sins were instinctive, unchallenged. We may have pretended to be in charge, wildly, incoherently trying to control sinful impulses, while riding waves of urges, but we willingly deluded ourselves and justified the next hit of sin. Even while we are in the Kingdom of Heaven, under the reign of Jesus, it is all together too easy to justify sins and go back to old, familiar patterns of rebellion against God. But to be in the Kingdom of Heaven, to be a citizen, is to experience now, the blessing Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all our sins. We have the holy boldness to be honest about our failures and rebelliousness. What happens now is the Holy Spirit unblocks the brain which was once conditioned to follow through almost unconsciously and instantaneously in old patterns of sin. The Holy Spirit intervenes so that between the urge of temptation and what used to be an immediate obedience to it in acting it out, there is now a holy space, a pause. The Spirit-given opportunity to consider the fact we are a new creation in Christ and sin no longer rules us. We are under the authority of our King, and it is His will we are called to obey.
 
Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Father in heaven, by Your Spirit’s presence in me, let Your will be done in my life and let Your commands rule in the deep places of my soul and mind, those places where desires to act are formed. Spirit purge impious urges and sift out unholy patterns so that in the newly formed holy space where formerly immediate sinful actions ruled, these are now paused, thrown down, so that I now have the ability to reach for and act on the newly implanted desire to be obedient to Jesus—the holy high priest by whose blood I am freed from the wrath of God—my King. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/nGlPk7Vzy2M?si=AcFqTAOnui3rvBJg The Lord’s Prayer
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 11, 2025 -- Proverbs 11:27 -- Ask yourself, "What am I pursuing?"

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,
but evil comes to him who searches for it.
Proverbs 11:27 ESV
 
What harm can there be in doom scrolling? What harm could there be in that second, lustful look? What harm in hanging out with folks who you know are a bad influence, but are fun to be around? What is the problem with video gaming? Why does it matter if my girlfriend isn’t a Christian, I mean, she says she’s spiritual? I know my body is a temple, but what is the big deal about being overweight, or not really counting calories? Why is shopping and how I spend my money such a big deal? When I have free time, why can’t I spend it the way I want doing what I want to do?
 
No doubt many of the above questions don’t touch on any area of your life where there might be an issue of obedience. I’ll hazard a guess though; there are one or two that hit home. The passage in focus today speaks of a diligent search for good versus the fact that evil approaches freely, ingratiating itself into the life of the one who is not persistently seeking what is good.
 
Evil is lurking nearby. The devil is organized in his attacks. He is patient, crouching at the door seeking an opportunity to attack you unaware. Your mind and your desires are not naturally inclined toward God. You are naturally inclined toward sin. Even the Christian who is devoted to Jesus realizes how persistent and sinister evil is. However, the faithful follower of Jesus realizes that to fight the sin lingering within, he must actively seek good. The one who claims to be spiritual, a devotee to God the Almighty, must intentionally when things are going well and with renewed vigor and focus, especially when things seem to be going badly, diligently seek God.
 
Each way of living yields a result. The one who is not actively pursuing God, even if all he claims is neutrality, that person will be caught up in the evil that approaches him. Evil is looking for any invitation, any small crack of inattention in one’s determination to pursue God. However, the one who is patiently, actively, daily planning to do good and seek for God has this great promise: he is in fact seeking God. The promise of the New Testament is that God is the source of every good (James 1:17). The search for good yields the rich reward of fullness of life with God the Father, through the blessed work of Jesus Christ, and this holy feedback loop is empowered by the Holy Spirit Who lives in you. Dear reader, what are you seeking?
 
Faithful Father, source of all good, in the strength of the Holy Spirit living in me, increase my desire to plan and execute the decision of seeking good. As You have so graciously promised, let me truly seek You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/4-GM9w6IA2M?si=k24-86ubbPT0gfvR “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 9, 2025 -- Matthew 4:17 -- Do Christians Repent? What is repentance?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17 ESV
 
Jesus preached the gospel of repentance having Himself just resisted the power of the devil for forty days and forty nights. Jesus, in His humanity, knew how terrible and persistent, subtle and powerful, the enemy is. He, Who resisted to the very core of His being, and continued to resist the onslaught of the devil, knew the people to whom He ministered needed His healing. He knew they needed to be released from the curse of sin and death. He knew the might of the devil which seemed unbreakable—unbreakable that is, until at His presence the light dawned. At His presence darkness flees. At the opening of His mouth, the sun of righteousness brought light that dispelled the darkness. As the sun of righteousness preached, there was healing in His wings.
 
The call to repentance is the sign that the light of Christ has taken hold of your heart. A Christian puts down his cigarette. A Christian turns off pornography. A Christian disciplines his tongue not to blaspheme or swear, but instead to be used to please God. Listen carefully here, he turns from sin because the light of Christ frees him or her from bondage to sin and sets the course of his life towards holiness. The life of the Christian is constant repentance. Listen to these words by John Chrysostom (lived 357-407) was a famous preacher and teacher:
“Be ashamed when you sin,
don’t be ashamed when you repent –
Sin is the wound, repentance is the medicine.
Sin is followed by shame;
repentance is followed by boldness
Satan has overturned this order
and given boldness to sin and shame to repentance.”
St. John Chrystostom, AD 357-407
 
When the light of Jesus Christ appears within you, and the light grows as it does with the day, always increasing in brightness and intensity as the day progresses, so it is with the light of Christ. He preaches. The Light penetrates our thoughts and minds, and we confess what we now see as wicked and evil. We hate our sin more. We realize the source of the impulses to old patterns of sin and root them out.
 
Father in heaven thank You for the light of Christ which shines through every page of Scripture. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit through Whom we have the strength to repent and the holy impulse to live according to the light of Christ. Triune God when we sin increase our shame at it so that we will with holy boldness repent. As Christians who live a life of on-going repentance, may our life in Christ draw in others, men and women who are being choked by sin and are chained in darkness, so they too will come to Jesus to receive the glorious, healing freedom which Jesus brings. Amen
 
https://youtu.be/CmNXeReZqAg?si=NoSZOdjbfULc9Xwh Be Still My Soul
 

Copyright © 2025 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.